


Third Grade Logic

by samurai-ashes (ashes)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, implicit one-side incestuous thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-10-18
Updated: 2003-10-17
Packaged: 2017-10-14 05:13:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/145740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashes/pseuds/samurai-ashes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><i>This was originally written in late 2003 -- when I was 17 -- and was my first chaptered YGO fic. I debated reposting it at all, but I know that it wasn't terrible in it's day, so I figure what the hell. I figure the story may seem... less terrible, with that perspective, haha. ^^;</i></p>
    </blockquote>





	1. First Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> _This was originally written in late 2003 -- when I was 17 -- and was my first chaptered YGO fic. I debated reposting it at all, but I know that it wasn't terrible in it's day, so I figure what the hell. I figure the story may seem... less terrible, with that perspective, haha. ^^;_

"Hello Mr. Motou!" Mokuba said brightly as he passed Yuugi's grandfather. Yuugi's grandfather smiled in greeting, but had no time to respond before Yuugi dragged Mokuba up the stairs. Mokuba grinned as he ran to keep up with the rambunctious tri-haired teen gripping his wrist. Finally, Mokuba stumbled into Yuugi's bedroom, and Yuugi closed the door behind them, leaning against it with a devilish grin.

"This is the strangest game of hide-and-seek I've ever played," Mokuba admitted, falling down into a chair by the desk with a smile. Yuugi laughed.

"Well, it's harder to find people within 5 blocks than in one building… we're just lucky that my house was within the boundaries."

"Won't everyone think we're hiding here?" Mokuba asked. "It seems sort of obvious."

"No; it's _too_ obvious."

Mokuba grinned; he hadn't played hide-and-seek in a while, and had been surprised when Yuugi invited him. Not that he had been complaining; it was an excuse to go out and play, but he hadn't expected that people who went to school with his brother would play a kid's game, even if it was modified to make it more interesting… "So," Yuugi said, interrupting Mokuba's train of thought, "what should we do while we're waiting?"

Mokuba's brow furrowed as he thought. "I guess we could just… talk." He thought it was the lamest idea he'd ever had, but Yuugi plopped onto his bed, smiling at Mokuba.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh!" Mokuba blushed. Sure, he could think of a few things he'd like to say to Yuugi… but he was too shy. Besides, Mokuba thought that sharing his secret feelings for Yuugi didn't seem to be a good topic, especially considering that Yuugi was in such a good mood. "I don't know… Why don't you tell me a story?" Mokuba wanted to smack himself; he sounded like a toddler. He rushed to add, "I mean, you've done enough, I'm sure you have stories to tell…"

Yuugi's cheeks turned a light shade of pink but he was smiling; Mokuba wondered if his cheeks hurt from all that smiling. "Not really. At least none I'm sure you don't know."

"Bullshit," Mokuba said, and then covered his mouth; he wasn't supposed to swear. Yuugi was laughing.

"That's the first time I've ever heard you swear," he was saying disjointedly between chuckles. Mokuba relaxed slightly, letting his hand fall from his mouth.

"Yea, well, I'm not supposed to. Seto doesn't like it; thinks it makes me sound uneducated." Mokuba scrunched his nose. "He swears a lot though, when he thinks I'm not listening."

"Does that make you mad, that he tells you to not to do something but does it himself?"

Mokuba shook his head. "No. I admire him for all he does; he works, he goes to school, he raises me… I figure I can cut him a little slack." Mokuba bit his lip in the silence; Yuugi was gazing off into space, and Mokuba wondered what he was thinking. He looked cute there, legs crossed Indian-style, hands folded in his lap, and small smile on his lips. Mokuba didn't realize he was staring until Yuugi looked back at him.

"What's on your mind?" Yuugi asked, his voice unusually soft.

Mokuba blurted, "I admire you, too. You always manage to be so happy and fun even though all these scary things have happened to you. I like that." He blushed. Yuugi's smile widened into a grin.

"Thanks; that means a lot to me." They sat in silence for a few more minutes; it was Yuugi who finally spoke. "Okay, I have a story for you."

Mokuba perked up. "What kind of story?"

"It's nothing big, but it's sort of funny…"

Mokuba watched as Yuugi talked, his whole face animated as he told some story about his friends; his words were wasted on Mokuba, because the raven-haired boy would have nodded and smiled even if Yuugi have been discussing etymology. He felt silly for being enamored with another male… one that his brother didn't particularly like on top of that! Not to mention he was young, a good 3 years younger than Yuugi… Mokuba supposed he could have coined a cliché like "age is just a number," but he wasn't stupid; regardless of how **he** felt about it, the real world didn't accept such idealism. Mokuba forced himself to focus on what Yuugi was saying. The teen was still talking, trying his best to stop from bursting into laughter as he told his story.

"…and I felt so bad for poor Jou, making an ass of himself like that." Yuugi finally burst out laughing, holding his sides, and Mokuba took it as a sign that the story had ended and giggled to make it seem as though he had been listening. But Jounouchi… he had thought about that too; Jounouchi and Yuugi were close… what if they were a couple and Mokuba didn't know? He couldn't say anything if Yuugi had someone else! Not that he was going to say anything… He thought there were too many risks for such a small chance that Yuugi might actually return any of those feelings. But still, it wouldn't hurt to ask about Jounouchi…

"Yuugi," he said timidly, feeling heat rise to his cheeks, "you're awfully close to Jounouchi, huh?"

Yuugi nodded, still giggling softly. "Jou's always been there for me."

Mokuba looked at the floor. "And are you guys…" Mokuba's cheeks burned hotter, "…you know… really close?" There was silence, and Mokuba swallowed the lump in his throat and mustered up the courage to look up. He was surprised to find Yuugi had moved and was standing surprisingly close; how had he missed that when he was staring at the floor? Purple eyes met his own grey ones, and it was the most uncomfortable staring contest Mokuba had ever engaged in.

"What makes you ask?" Yuugi asked softly. Did that mean he and Jounouchi were together? Was he concerned that Mokuba had suspected? Mokuba felt so stupid! He shouldn't have asked… Mokuba shook his head. He was no coward; why was he suddenly scared of Yuugi?

Despite his mental pep talks, Mokuba couldn't master the waver in his voice. "I-I just wondered… I mean… it seems natural that you two would be together…"

"We're not. Even if I wanted to, Jou has a girl his sights are set on. But why would you even be thinking about such things; aren't you only 12?"

Mokuba said indignantly, "I'll be 13 next week! And just because I'm younger than you doesn't mean I don't notice things like that." Mokuba took a second to mull over Yuugi's last statement: "even if I wanted to…" He looked at Yuugi. "So you're not… you don't like boys?" When he got home, Mokuba was going to kick something. Hard. He suddenly found himself wishing that someone would find them and come busting in, bringing an end to the awkward moment they were suspended in…

Yuugi looked genuinely confused. "Why would something like that concern you?"

Mokuba found himself staring at Yuugi in shock; was Yuugi that naïve, or was Mokuba not coming off as obvious as he thought? Mokuba was torn; if he was ever going to say anything, he wouldn't find a better opportunity… but there was still doubt nagging at his mind. In one breath he admitted, "Because I have feelings for you and it would be embarrassing if it turned out that you had no interest in boys at all!"

Yuugi blinked once. Then he blinked two more times. He blinked one more time before he dazedly went and sat down on the corner of the bed, his eyes seeming impossibly wider as he stared at Mokuba. "Okay, come sit down here and say that slower for me." Mokuba went over to the bed warily, sitting a few inches away from Yuugi.

"I… have feelings… for you," Mokuba said much slower, partially in nervousness and partially to be cute; no matter what, he knew he had cuteness on his side. "And it would be horribly embarrassing for me if you weren't like that."

Yuugi was blinking again. "I did hear right the first time…" He was staring at Mokuba, and he seemed absent. "I mean… I… well, I've considered the possibility that I might… but I don't **know** …" Yuugi was rambling, and his voice had a slight shake to it. Mokuba wondered if he had broached a sensitive topic for Yuugi. "I mean, I'm 16 years old and I'm confused; isn't 12-"

"13." Mokuba was going to drive the point that he was nearly a teenager home, even if it took him all night.

"Isn't 13 a young age to be that sure of yourself?"

Mokuba shook his head. "Why would I doubt myself?" He smiled at Yuugi. "So does that mean that you **do** think something of other boys?"

Yuugi's cheeks were quickly turning red. "I… Sometimes."

"But there aren't any significant ones in your life?"

Yuugi shook his head.

Mokuba said matter-of-factly, "Then I have a chance."

Yuugi almost toppled off his bed at Mokuba's words. "But, you're… and I'm… Age," he finally said simply.

"What's your point?" Mokuba said stubbornly, trying to act as though it didn't matter when he knew Yuugi was right; a 16 year old and a 13 year old in any sort of relationship was decidedly odd and somewhat not right. "You certainly don't look much older than me. Besides, who's going to care?"

"But… I'd feel like a pedophile."

Mokuba burst out laughing; he wouldn't have been **that** drastic about it. "It's just 3 years; that's hardly a large enough gap to start labeling yourself a 'pedophile'." Somehow, seeing how his confession put Yuugi on edge helped put him at ease, and he reached forward and touched Yuugi's hand, just to see what Yuugi did. Yuugi stared down at Mokuba's hand, and then back at Mokuba.

"Your brother… would kick my ass."

"Well he's not here, is he? Maybe just right now…"

"Just right now what?"

Mokuba tried to look confident, but his stomach was twisting and turning as he said, "I'm going to kiss you."

Yuugi's eyes somehow managed to widen even more and he let out a small noise that mostly resembled "eep!" "You… why would you… I mean, what if…"

"I don't see any 'what if's here. If I kiss you, you can't feel bad about it, because it would be my fault... And if you like it, and I like it… who knows?" Mokuba moved closer to Yuugi. "Okay?"

Yuugi nodded wordlessly, and Mokuba felt his heart fluttering beneath his chest as he leaned forward; he had never kissed anyone before. Somehow, he had never expected to be initiating his first kiss, and he definitely didn't imagine it would be with another boy, let alone Yuugi Motou. Their lips met awkwardly, and Mokuba paused; what the hell was he supposed to do now? Sure, it was a nice feeling, but… He moved back. What was so special about that? And here he had believed all the hype about first kisses… He found Yuugi was staring at him. He reached out and touched Mokuba's cheeky gently. Mokuba was confused.

"You leave a lot to be desired," Yuugi said with a small smile of amusement, his thumb gently caressing Mokuba's cheek.

Mokuba was about to ask what that was supposed to be when Yuugi kissed him… And that bit about first kisses made a little more sense… either that or he was just trying to make it make sense. Either way, it was more pleasant. Mokuba nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Yuugi's tongue flick gently along his lower lip. He backed away a bit, preparing to say something to Yuugi; he hadn't expected that…

And Grandpa's voice floated up to them. "Yuugi! Jounouchi's here for you!"

Despite the surprise he had felt just seconds before, Mokuba was disappointed; he looked at Yuugi and said "Crap." Yuugi laughed.

"We'll be down in a second!" he yelled back, and he turned back to Mokuba. "We'll discuss this later, ne?"

Mokuba nodded and followed as Yuugi dashed out the door and down the stairs, shouting to Jounouchi about not coming up to find them himself. But Mokuba kept replaying the way Yuugi had been looking at him before that second kiss. It made him feel sort of warm and fuzzy.

He must have had a better chance than he originally thought. The idea made him grin.


	2. First Kisses

Seto paused as he passed the doorway of the living room, peeking in to check on Mokuba; the youth was laying the couch, snoring softly, one arm hanging off and one bent leg, somewhat propped against the back. Seto spared a small smile at the sight and went to retrieve a blanket; he didn't want Mokuba to catch a cold. When he returned with the blanket, he noticed that the TV was still on and that Mokuba had his game on pause. His other hand was resting on his stomach, and he was holding the phone. He must have fallen asleep after he had finished talking. Seto's nose crinkled with distaste as he turned off the TV; he could take three guesses at whom Mokuba had been talking to, the first two wouldn't count. It must have been Yuugi. He could tell that his younger brother and his rival were "together" in one way or another; it had become painfully obvious over the past few weeks… the way Mokuba seemed to spend more and more time away from the house, out with Yuugi and friends, the way he would blush if Seto mentioned the teen… He would have been a fool not to see it.

He hated it.

He was used to Mokuba spending time with him, relying on him for support, for amusement, for companionship, for advice and lessons on life. He had been doing his best to make sure Mokuba wouldn't be a sap, to make sure that he wouldn't be walked upon his life. He wanted his younger brother to grow up strong. He wanted to his younger brother to be independent. But he had never prepared himself for the idea that Mokuba would eventually leave, and he certainly hadn't expected that Mokuba would ever have a boyfriend, especially at the age of thirteen. Seto was wanted to be proud that his brother seemed mature enough to handle a relationship at his young an age… But in all reality, he was just jealous. Because having a relationship meant that Mokuba would have less time for him, and he didn't ever want his younger brother to leave.

Seto loved Mokuba. In the worst way a brother could.

He looked down at the sleeping boy; he was just reaching puberty and he was already good-looking. Seto was sure Mokuba's looks would become more defined as he got older. It was sort of unfortunate; he liked the boyishness of his younger brother, and he knew that would pass with time. His brother was going to grow up and have men and women alike flocking to him… Seto just knew it. Again, he felt that pang of jealously, and loathed the feeling; he knew it was wrong to be in love with his younger brother, but he didn't know how to stop it. Mokuba had always been affectionate and caring with him, no matter what he was doing or how much of an ass he was. Mokuba loved him unconditionally, and it was just his luck that because of the blood they shared, he could never be more than Mokuba's beloved big brother… and Mokuba would always see him as such.

Seto shook himself from his thoughts, looking down at the blanket he was gripping. He loosened his grasp; he hadn't realized his fist had tensed while he was thinking. He covered Mokuba, tucking it around the sleeping boy so it wouldn't come off during the night. He smiled against his will; Mokuba was incredibly adorable in his sleep. Seto leaned down and kissed his forehead, gently brushing a lock of raven hair from Mokuba's face. He couldn't take his eyes off the sleeping youth; Seto could have just watched him sleep forever and been content at the peaceful expression on his brother's face. His eyes were drawn to Mokuba's lips; they were like the apple that blossomed from the tree of knowledge: forbidden but blissfully tempting. He felt as though he was in a trance as he leaned closer, his lips gently brushing against those of his sleeping brother. He lingered there for less than second, and was shocked back into reality when Mokuba returned his kiss. Seto jolted upright, eyes wide as he looked at his brother, searching for any sign that the boy had roused; there was none. Mokuba was still sleeping peacefully as he rolled onto his side, mumbling something in his sleep; Seto thought he caught the word "Yuugi," and his stomach churned as he hurriedly left the room.

Seto's mind was whirling. Had he actually just stooped to such a degenerate level as to kiss his younger brother… while he was sleeping? If he were willing to do that, would he ever go as far as to hurt Mokuba? The idea frightened him. He stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. He leaned wearily on the counter, staring at himself in the mirror.

He would never hurt Mokuba; he wouldn't allow himself to do it, regardless of any sexual feelings he might have felt. Seto's stomach turned again as the word "sexual" crossed his mind and he suppressed feelings of sickness. Was he that much of a pervert? No… He was just hopelessly in love. He groaned, and the sound was agonizing.

He had to move past it; it was that simple. Mokuba meant everything to him, and Seto's feelings were starting to border on dangerous. It wasn't Mokuba's fault that he was Seto's only vice. The first step to move past this fetish for his brother was to accept and acknowledge the fact that Mokuba was with Yuugi… Seto would discuss it with him at the first opportunity… And of course, he had to lay some rules down for Yuugi; that went for **anyone** who was going to touch Mokuba.

Seto leaned down on his elbows, resting his forehead on the heels of his palms. He wanted to be someone else.

Slowly he stood, walking over to the shower and running the water, trying to will away his thoughts as he stepped under the hot stream of water. He didn't know how long he stood there, working out what to say in his head, hoping he would relax enough to sleep, but he knew he was deluding himself; even if he were able relax, he would still be thinking too much to rest. But if lost sleep was the price he paid to end his unhealthy need for his brother, then so be it.


	3. A Warning & a Meeting

Seto was working at his computer when there was a timid knock on the door to his den. He looked over to the door to see Mokuba poking his head in. It was almost cute, and Seto smiled. "What is it?" he asked.

"Well," Mokuba started softly.

"Speak up," Seto commanded gently. "You shouldn't be nervous when you're asking for something." Mokuba stepped a little further into the office, standing straight.

"I was wondering if Yuugi could come over and play games with me," Mokuba said, and his voice was louder but his face betrayed him; he looked like he was facing a firing squad. Seto fought the urge to make a face; Mokuba was never nervous around him. Still, he had wanted to talk to Yuugi, and letting him come over would be the easiest way… He looked at Mokuba again; the boy's eyes were simply begging him to say yes, and Seto couldn't resist him.

"Fine." He turned back to his computer, and was surprised when the smaller form ran to him, wrapping his arm's around Seto's neck and kissing his cheek. Seto stiffened; his brother was so affectionate over something so trivial…

"Thanks, Seto," Mokuba said.

"Aren't you a little old for that?" Seto asked, not wanting Mokuba to linger so close; it was unnerving. "It's not like I gave you permission to do something life-defining. It's just a friend."

" **Someone** needs to hug you," Mokuba said, his tone firm, as he stepped away from his brother. "Otherwise you really would become the ice-cold asshole people think you are."

"Language," Seto said sternly, and Mokuba flushed.

"Sorry. Anyway, thanks." Mokuba ran out of the room. Once the door was closed Seto leaned back tiredly into his chair. How could such minimal interaction take so much out of him? Still, at least Mokuba had taken the initiative: not only did that make Seto proud, but it made his task of cornering Yuugi that much easier.

Seto found himself checking on Yuugi and Mokuba every half hour on the dot: every time he looked, they were sitting on the living room floor, exchanging meaningless banter and playing some loud video game. He was actually surprised; a part of him had expected to find them doing something… well, something more illicit. He checked his watch: it was 12:30. He cleared his throat and both boys looked at him in surprise; they must not have noticed he had been standing there.

"Hi!" Yuugi said brightly, waving slightly. He didn't look the least bit nervous or guilty, whereas Mokuba flashed his brother a weak smile, looking like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Seto had to restrain the urge to smile. He didn't realize that his brother was so edgy about him knowing he had a relationship with Yuugi.

"Hello," he said coolly. "It's about lunchtime, if you two are hungry." At the mention of food Mokuba visibly brightened, his smile strengthening. Seto added, "I can get you something from the kitchen, if you like."

Mokuba nodded. "Thanks big brother!"

Seto cringed slightly at the innocent yet extremely blunt reminder that he was Mokuba's big brother. "What do you want?"

Mokuba bit his lower lip as he thought. "Maybe a sandwich or something. I don't care; go ahead and just pick something out, I trust your taste." Seto bit the inside of his cheek. Brother, trust… He wasn't used to feeling guilty about anything he did: the fact that he felt guilt irritated him beyond reason. It was his fault that he felt guilt, though; he had no right to be irritated.

"Okay. Yuugi, would you like to join me? I could show you around the house a little on the way to the kitchen." Mokuba's eyes widened slightly at Seto's offer, and even more when Yuugi amiably said, "Sure." Seto turned away from them, but in the corner of his eye caught Yuugi kiss Mokuba's cheek, saying something in a voice that Seto couldn't hear. He started to walk away and could hear Yuugi behind him.

"That was just an excuse to get me alone, wasn't it?" Yuugi asked once they were a good distance from the living room.

"Aren't you astute," Seto retorted stiffly. He had figured he was a better liar than that. Then again, if he counted the number of times he had come up short against Yuugi… He growled deep in his throat; he was not in a very good mood, and he had a feeling that the upcoming conversation wasn't going to help much. They continued walking in silence, Seto waiting to calm down a little before he spoke. His voice was slow and deliberate as he said, "I know."

"Know what?" Seto didn't know if Yuugi was playing innocent or trying to gauge exactly how much Seto knew; either way, the words added to Seto's irritation.

"About you and Mokuba," Seto snapped. He turned the corner into the kitchen. Yuugi followed, jumping up onto the counter, leaning forward onto his palms and kicking his legs slightly. Seto wanted to comment about how he didn't look much older than Mokuba when he did that, but instead he opened the refrigerator, searching the contents thoroughly.

Yuugi asked, "Is that all you have to say?"

"No," Seto said shortly. "I'm biding my time before I say anything too rash."

"Okay."

Seto tried to decide what to give Mokuba to eat, ignoring Yuugi. There were several sandwiches wrapped in plastic wrap in the door of the refrigerator; Seto didn't know what was in them, but they would do; Mokuba wasn't a very picky eater. He looked over his shoulder at Yuugi and held up a one of the tightly wrapped sandwiches. "Want one?"

"Sure." Despite all his resolve to be civilized, Seto tossed one to him somewhat violently. Yuugi lost his balance as he caught it and slipped off the counter. He managed to land without any major damage, but Seto did hear one of his knees hit the ground with a painful thud. "Sorry," he said, feeling slightly childish, but his tone didn't portray his remorse.

"Don't worry about it," Yuugi said, but his tone a little less good-natured. "I take that as you're upset with me?"

Seto got a bottle of water from the fridge and held it out to Yuugi; when he had planned out the conversation in his head, he hadn't intended on throwing lunch-food at him. Yuugi accepted the bottle and Seto got another one for Mokuba. Sandwich and water in hand, Seto looked down at Yuugi. Yuugi looked up at him, the usual friendly look on his face replaced with one of utmost seriousness as they stared each other down. "Mokuba's older now; he can make his own decisions… and his own mistakes." Yuugi frowned at Seto's last words, but Seto continued without letting him speak. "But if you should hurt my younger brother in any way, I can assure you that there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me?"

Seto had hoped that Yuugi would show some sign of fear at his words, but instead the spiky-haired teen stared at him with determination. "I have no intention of hurting Mokuba."

"Good." Seto turned on his heel and left, and he heard Yuugi's footfall on the floor behind him. The easiest part was done; it was no great task to threaten Yuugi… after all, he had done it several times before. The harder part would be talking to Mokuba. Well, might as well do it while he was on roll.

"Should I keep that little exchange a secret from Mokuba?" Yuugi asked. They were nearing the living room.

"Don't bother." Seto entered the living room, and found Mokuba sitting on the floor, looking concerned as he and Yuugi entered the room. Seto went over to him and kneeled down onto the ground, handing over the water and sandwich.

"Thanks," Mokuba said, taking the food happily. Seto continued to stare at Mokuba. "What is it?"

"I know that you're… with Yuugi," Seto said, masking his distaste for the sake of his younger brother. He saw Mokuba's smile melt away and his eyes widen. The younger boy opened his mouth to speak, but Seto quickly to a finger to his lips, silencing him. "That's fine. You're old enough. Just be careful with yourself." With that, Seto stood and briskly left the living room. Sure, it hadn't been what he wanted to say, but at least it was done.

Seto sat on the park bench, staring out at nothing as he mulled over the events of the day. He had left the house after telling Mokuba it was okay for him to be with Yuugi. He was sure he had handled that whole situation horribly; he didn't come off nearly as intimidating to Yuugi as he had hoped, and he had just left Mokuba before the boy could voice any questions or concerns that Seto knew he would have. He didn't want to have to continue assuring Mokuba that he was okay with it, because he wasn't. It may not have been his style, but this time it was easier to lie once and then avoid talking about it again.

So he had gone somewhere he knew Mokuba wouldn't think to find him: some random city park. It had been filled with children and families earlier, but by sunset it had cleared out, leaving Seto alone with his thoughts. A few hundred feet in front of Seto was a shallow pond: the moon and stars winked back at him from the ripples on the water's surface. He wasn't impressed by the image, idyllic as it was.

He heard footsteps behind him, walking towards where he was sitting; they were slow and light, not at all threatening. Seto didn't turn to see who was walking up behind him; he didn't particularly care. Besides, he had his suspicions, and when the person dropped down next to him on the bench, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Yuugi," he said blandly.

"Not quite." There was a slight difference in voice, a slightly gruffer tone. Seto might not have noticed under any other circumstances, but it seemed to stick out right then. And he remembered something Yuugi had been babbling about once…

Seto rolled his eyes. "Right, I forgot about the spirit Yuugi shares a body with." Seto mumbled something about MPD under his breath. Finally, after a long moment of silence, Seto asked bitterly, "So, is the ancient spirit sleeping with my little brother too?"

Rather than directly answer the question, Yami said, "Yuugi and Mokuba aren't sleeping together."

"Oh," Seto commented incredulously, "did he send you to speak on his behalf?"

"No," Yami said calmly. "It's just chance that we met here." He twiddled his thumbs, and then shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Seto was attempting to think again, but the constant motion from the slightly taller version of Yuugi beside him was distracting.

"Why are you so fidgety?" Seto finally asked, exasperation evident in his face.

"I'm not accustomed to being… out, if you will, when there's nothing important happening."

"Then why are you here at all?"

"Yuugi told me to get some fresh air, that I was too being too jittery for him to do anything."

Seto crossed his arms over his chest. "So what do they call you if you're not Yuugi?" Idle chitchat was better than having the person beside him acting as though he had ants in his pants.

"Yami."

Seto nodded. "And why would a spirit be jittery?" He spoke as though he didn't believe a word he was saying.

"Yuugi was on the phone with Mokuba."

Seto's mouth almost fell open. "On the phone? Didn't they just spend all day together?" Amazing…

Yami shrugged. "They like each other's company." Yami shifted in his seat again.

Seto chose to ignore that statement. "What about Yuugi being on the phone makes you so uncomfortable?"

"Because it feels like eavesdropping; I can't leave, and Yuugi isn't the greatest as both blocking me and doing something, so I end up listening to more than half of their conversations…"

"What sort of things do they say?"

Yami stared at Seto. "You're uncomfortable with their relationship."

"Of course I am; what brother wouldn't be?"

"Is it because Yuugi's a male? Or is it just because Mokuba spends more time away from home?"

Seto sat up straight, caught off-guard by how well Yami seemed to have pegged it. "I could give a damn less if Yuugi was an extraterrestrial transvestite, as long as he doesn't hurt Mokuba."

"So it's the latter." Yami gazed out onto the pond. He added softly, "It was bound to happen someday."

"I don't need your condolences; I'm perfectly aware of that," Seto snapped. There was silence before Yami stood.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you." He started walking away when Seto realized something; he knew it was a stupid, but he had to ask…

"If you're here, is Yuugi still on the phone with Mokuba?"

Yami looked at Seto as though that was the dumbest question he had ever heard. "One body can't be in two places at once." He turned and walked away, and Seto was left to his thoughts once more.


	4. Movies & Reflection

Mokuba giggled as he watched Jounouchi and Honda start wrestling on the floor. He had no clue what they were arguing about; their words had become so garbled together that one voice was nearly indistinguishable from the other. Anzu was chuckling, thumbing through a book from her place at Yuugi's desk. The five teens had been sitting in Yuugi's room for nearly half an hour; they were supposed to be making plans to go do something, but—obviously—they had gotten nowhere.

"You two are so dumb sometimes," Anzu said, not looking up from the paperback. "Do you realize that in some animal societies that might be considered a mating ritual?" Both boys on the floor stopped and looked up at her.

Honda was the first to speak, "Anzu… sometimes you're disturbing."

"Besides, if it were a mating ritual, _those_ two would be doing it," Jounouchi said, jerking a thumb toward where Mokuba and Yuugi were sitting on the bed. Mokuba was leaning against Yuugi completely innocently; at Jounouchi's words, he blushed and examined his hands, a small smile on his face. He didn't think he would ever get used to Jounouchi's dirty jokes.

"Jou!" Yuugi said, his cheeks turning pink. Jounouchi protested as Anzu threw the paperback at him and accused him of being insensitive.

"I was just kidding, they know that!" he protested, trying to duck behind Honda. "Right, Yuugi?"

Yuugi was laughing. "Sure, Jou."

"Then call her off!"

Mokuba laughed as Anzu made a face at him and called Jounouchi something he would never repeat, even if Seto **wasn't** around. She moved from the chair and sat down on the bed beside Mokuba. "Wow, you're blushing bright," she said, almost in awe. "Look at that, Jounouchi; he's red as a cherry!"

"At his age, he should be," Jounouchi said with a raised eyebrow and a cocky grin. Mokuba's eyes widened and he covered his mouth, but he was grinning at the humor of it; Anzu had walked right into that one, even if it was at his expense. Anzu kicked Jounouchi, frowning slightly.

"That was horrible! You are so _dumb_ sometimes." Yuugi had fallen back onto his bed laughing.

"Everyone else thought it was funny, even Mokuba!" Jounouchi protested.

"He's right," Honda piped up in Jounouchi's defense, wide grin on his face. "Look at him."

Anzu did look at him, and Mokuba moved his hand, exposing his grin. She rolled her eyes. "Why do I bother with you guys; I swear you have the more idiotic sense of humor." Yuugi bounced up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Because we're your best friends!" he said brightly, and Anzu patted his arm affectionately. Jounouchi and Honda gave their agreement and went back to fighting on the floor.

Mokuba's smile stayed on his face, but he felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Yuugi hugging Anzu. Yuugi and Anzu were just friends, after all; he had no reason to be jealous because Yuugi was hugging a friend. But that didn't change the fact that he was just a little envious to see his boyfriend showering such affection on someone else. The feeling soon passed as Yuugi bounced over to him, tackling him down and tickling him. Mokuba laughed and writhed beneath the older boy, making feeble protests and trying unsuccessfully to retaliate. Finally, Yuugi stopped, leaning down and kissing his forehead. Mokuba smiled goofily… and then noticed that they were being watched; Jounouchi was smirking at them.

"No, go ahead," he urged, obviously fighting laughter. "It was getting good."

"Pervert," Mokuba said. The room filled with laughter and Mokuba propped himself up on his elbows, scooting out from beneath Yuugi and sitting up. He thought about the whole situation that lead him to saying the word "pervert," remembering back to when he had first kissed Yuugi 3 weeks ago. To think that he almost didn't say anything… True, he was still nervous around Yuugi; being younger made him feel somewhat inferior, not to mention that at times he felt like a swooning schoolgirl. It embarrassed him. And yet Yuugi was amazingly patient with him, and he never made any comments about Mokuba's embarrassment and shyness.

Mokuba was jarred from his thoughts by a gentle jab to the belly. Mokuba shook himself and looked at the poker, who happened to be Jounouchi.

Jounouchi was asking, "Will that be okay with your brother?"

"Will what be okay with my brother?" Mokuba asked in confusion.

"If you could go to a movie tonight," Yuugi explained, ruffling Mokuba's hair affectionately. Mokuba sighed contentedly, unconsciously leaning into the touch. "Will Kaiba mind?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I'll go call him." He hopped off the bed and went downstairs to use the phone.

2 hours later, they found themselves sitting along the back row of the movie theater, 30 minutes into the worst movie Mokuba had ever seen. Then again, he was frustrated before the movie started; first they had to prove that both Yuugi and Mokuba were old enough to be going to the movie, and then when Yuugi hugged Mokuba, someone made a comment about "public indecency." He leaned against Yuugi, considering the idea of using him as a human pillow, and made a mental note never to let Jounouchi pick out the movie ever again. He heard Yuugi mumble something, reaching up and gently rubbing the back of Mokuba's neck. Mokuba resisted the urge to purr. The armrest between their seats dug uncomfortably into Mokuba's side, but he wouldn't have moved for anything at that moment, feeling like a contented kitten. Mokuba bit back a surprised yelp as he felt Yuugi nibbling gently on his ear lobe, and then sighed, sinking down a bit in his seat and moving so that his neck wasn't at such an odd angle. Yuugi took that as invitation to trail kisses down along Mokuba's cheek, and Mokuba took the hint easily enough. He turned into Yuugi's kisses; Yuugi framed the side of Mokuba's face with one hand and kissed him, tongue gently demanding entry to Mokuba's mouth. Mokuba hesitantly complied, pushing nervousness aside as he let Yuugi lead him; there he was, receiving his first French kiss in the back of a movie theater… life was surprising him more and more lately.

"Yuugi!" Mokuba heard Anzu hiss from her seat beside Yuugi. "Not in public!" Mokuba almost found it amusing that she sounded like a mother scolding a child. Mokuba mourned the loss of Yuugi's lips as the other teen moved away, caressing Mokuba's cheek. Mokuba impulsively leaned forward, capturing Yuugi in another kiss. Yuugi's hand moved to the back of Mokuba's neck, dominating the kiss once again and ignoring Anzu's feeble protests.

"Come here," Yuugi murmured against his lips, his voice low and lusty. Mokuba wasn't sure that he quite understood what Yuugi meant, but Anzu's protests were kindled anew.

"Someone will see you two; can't you save this for private? And you'll miss the movie," she whispered urgently.

Yuugi justified, "Movie sucks." He grabbed Mokuba's wrist and tugged on it. Mokuba awkwardly let himself be led so that he was sitting sideways on Yuugi's lap. Almost immediately, Yuugi's lips went to Mokuba's neck, gently kissing and nibbling on the flesh. Mokuba tilted his head, giving Yuugi better access, stifling a moan. Anzu had give up arguing with Yuugi and was instead watching the movie intently, as though she was deliberately avoiding looking at the two teenagers. Mokuba's eyes fluttered shut as he focused completely on the feeling on Yuugi's lips moving on his neck. His breath hitched and he felt a familiar hardening between his legs. Impatiently Mokuba moved, leaning in to kiss Yuugi. Yuugi returned the kiss feverishly, one hand rubbing small circles on Mokuba's lower back. Mokuba shifted, and he suddenly became very aware of Yuugi's arousal pressing against his leg. He was both proud that he was the direct cause of that, and frightened. It occurred to him that everything happening at that moment could eventually led to some sort of overtly sexual encounter… and Mokuba wasn't sure he was ready for that. He mentally swore at himself; why the hell had he gone willingly into Yuugi's lap if he was just going to get scared? Damn, he could be so stupid sometimes! He stiffened, and Yuugi seemed to sense his indecision, breaking the kiss.

"It's okay," he said quietly, and Mokuba simply stared, shocked by the way Yuugi was looking at him. Mokuba didn't see any anger.

"How can you not be mad?" Mokuba asked. He felt like a tease, kissing and sighing, and then getting cold feet.

Yuugi smiled softly. "Why would I be?"

Mokuba felt a small sigh of relief escape him, and he cuddled up against Yuugi, laying his head on the older teen's shoulder and fixing his attention on the movie. "What's going on?"

Yuugi admitted, "I have no clue." Mokuba giggled and rested against Yuugi, content for the moment.

Yuugi was half-asleep, curled under his blankets. Yami was content to let the little one sleep despite the fact that he was restless; he respected his vessel's need to rest. Still, that didn't stop him from pacing… well, pacing as much as a spirit could pace. After all, the only person who could see him moving was Yuugi, considering that most of the time he was little more than a specter, projected from the boy's mind.

It had bothered him, the whole episode in the movie theater… For several reasons; partially because there was something erotic about his hikari and Mokuba going at it in the back of a movie theater (and the fact that some of Yuugi's feelings had bled over to him hadn't helped), but also because he knew that if the elder Kaiba had been there… Yami didn't know why the brunet haunted his thoughts, but haunt them the male did, and he found the idea of the other boy being upset very disturbing.

"You want him, right?" Yuugi murmured; Yami stared at the boy's form. "You can't keep secrets from me, Yami."

Yami nodded and smiled ruefully. "There's something about him…"

"Then have him."

Yami sat down and said exasperatedly, "It's not that easy; you know that Yuugi."

Yuugi groaned and rolled onto his back. "Talk about it; it'll make you feel better, and maybe it'll help you sort out your feelings."

"I'll be disrupting your sleep."

"I can feel when you move, Yami; if you don't get this off your chest I won't get any sleep." Yuugi looked very pointedly at Yami, and Yami couldn't deny that he was right.

"It's just that… almost every time I've seen him, he's always been very arrogant and full of himself… And that night I saw him at the park, he wasn't on guard or cocky… he just seemed weary, and sad. He didn't have his usual air of being able to control the world with the click of a button; he seemed beautifully ordinary."

Yuugi chuckled. "Sounds like you've been checking him out for a while now."

If Yami had a body, he would have blushed. "Well, we seem to run into him constantly; you can't deny he's good on the eyes."

"I can too; he's too tall," Yuugi commented with a roll of his eyes. "I'm beginning to suspect you're a little boy-crazy; didn't you just tell me the other day that some other guy was hot? The one on that band's poster…?"

Yami was said defensively, "That's different; pictures are one thing, but to be attracted to someone you know… who is all too distant to ever be approached…" Yami sighed. "I'm hopeless."

Yuugi retorted, "You're not hopeless; you're pessimistic. Just go for it."

Yami looked at Yuugi with a raised eyebrow. "Have you met Kaiba recently, Yuugi? He's not exactly the friendliest person to approach. Besides, there's also the issue of physical being… mainly that I don't have one."

"So? You use mine all the time; how would this be different?"

"Can you imagine explaining that to Seto? To Mokuba? Just imagine if, and this is all very unlikely and hypothetical, Mokuba were to see me with Seto; could you explain that to him? Even if they did understand, would they be able to accept it?"

Yuugi bit his lip. "I'll talk to Mokuba about it. But I hate when you're unhappy like this; I can feel it. It hurts." Yuugi's voice was filled with genuine emotion, and Yami had to smile at his hikari.

"Thank you. Get some sleep, little one."

Yuugi nodded and retreated back under his covers, and his soft snores soon filled the room.


	5. Makeup & Leather

Yuugi knew he had been with Yami a little too long when he began to pace the room just as Yami would, waiting for Mokuba to respond to what he had just said. Mokuba was staring; his face portrayed his contemplation, and all Yuugi could do was wait quietly. He had tried his best to make sure Mokuba understood, to make sure Mokuba knew it wasn't him who wanted Seto: it was Yami. Damn, he was moving around so much that he was making himself nervous! Yuugi forced himself to sit at his desk chair, leaving Mokuba sitting alone on the bed. He stared at the boy, waiting for an answer. After what felt like an eternity, Mokuba looked up, and their eyes locked.

"I think…" He paused, and the silence was enough to make Yuugi want to shout just to fill it. "…that it's terrific." He was beaming at Yuugi.

Yuugi's mouth almost fell open in shock. He hadn't really expected that Mokuba would understand, and he certainly hadn't expected Mokuba to be quite so excited…

"Really?"

Mokuba stood and walked over to Yuugi, dropping into his lap and wrapping his arms around the other boy's neck, letting them rest gently on his shoulders. The action caught Yuugi off-guard; Mokuba usually wasn't so open to crawling all over Yuugi. "I understand. You are one person, and Yami is another… who has the same body. It just happened that Yami wants my brother."

"That doesn't worry you?" Yuugi asked, surprised. "I mean... it could lead to all sorts of misunderstandings."

Mokuba smiled and said, "Nah, I can tell when it's you. Like I just said, you're two different people." He gave Yuugi a quick kiss. "And Seto needs someone. Anyone. He doesn't like when I hug him anymore, and he needs some affection or he's going to… detach. I love him too much to see him do that." He kissed Yuugi again, and then said in a secretive and excited tone, "I just had the best idea."

"Hm?" Yuugi asked with a lazy grin, his mind already falling into the gutter and mulling over what idea Mokuba could have cooked up; lately it seemed Mokuba was being naughtier than Yuugi had originally realized.

"We should hook them up." Yuugi blinked. Damn. Not quite what he had been hoping for.

"Oh?" he said with a raised eyebrow; he felt Yami's interest perk up in the back of his mind.

"Yea!" Mokuba said excitedly, obviously enjoying the idea of playing cupid. He reached over Yuugi to the desk, grabbing for a pencil and paper. "I know Seto best, and you know Yami best; between the two of us we can compare them and come up with the best way to bring them together."

Yuugi went to stand, and Mokuba hopped off his lap. Yuugi went to the bed, laying out on his back while Mokuba sat the desk looking back at him.

"So, come on, tell me something about Yami that might help me out," he demanded, pencil poised over paper.

"Well…" Yuugi thought for a moment. "He kind of likes guys in make-up."

 _"Hey!"_ Yami shouted from his ethereal position in Yuugi's consciousness. _"Don't tell him that!"_

Yuugi grinned at Yami's reaction. Suddenly, the idea of setting Seto and Yami up was more fun.

"Make-up?" Mokuba asked, a stunned look on his face.

"Yea!" Yuugi said with a mischievous grin. "Nothing too girly, but he thinks there's something hot about it when its done right."

Yami growled. _"See if I talk to you ever again, Yuugi Motou!"_

"Well, there's not a chance in hell we're getting Seto to wear make-up; we'll need something else."

"Hm," Yuugi said. "Well, he also had this thing for leather. Not necessarily kinky-at least, not that he's told me-but you know… the way leather clings and all…"

 _"Keep talking, aibou,"_ Yami said, is voice falsely sweet. _"Wait! Why don't I tell Mokuba all these things?"_

"Hey!" Yuugi said out loud, confusing Mokuba. "That's a great idea!" Mokuba closed his eyes against a bright light, and when he opened them again, Yami was sitting there, wicked grin on his face.

"Hi, Yami!" Mokuba said. "Erm..." There was something strange about knowing that the person in front of him was someone else yet looked so much like his boyfriend. "Any thoughts?"

Yami beckoned him closer, his grin still wide as ever. Mokuba went over, confused. When he was close enough, Yami said, "One night, Yuugi had a dream about you in a schoolgirl uniform." Mokuba's mouth fell open and he blushed, turning away from Yami. When he looked back to say something, Yami was gone and Yuugi had returned, looking flustered and embarrassed. His eyes were wide, and Mokuba smiled.

"Schoolgirl uniform?" he asked. "A princess, I might understand…"

"Well, I… Um…" He swore. "I am going to kick Yami's ass."

 _"Ha!"_ Yami taunted. _"I want to see you try without hurting yourself."_ Yuugi could imagine the ancient Pharaoh sticking out his tongue, and he couldn't help but smile; oh, if his subjects could only see him now…

Mokuba was graceful enough to change the subject. "I think we might actually have something on that leather fetish; Seto actually has a pair of leather pants."

"Seriously?" Yuugi asked. "Why?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I found them in his closet once; he told me to forget about it."

"Hmm… Well, Yami also likes sex in bathrooms."

Mokuba blush deepened visibly at the mention of sex, and Yami retorted, _"Why don't we tell him what **you** do in the bathroom?"_

 _"Stop that!"_ Yuugi protested internally. _"We're trying to help."_

"You're having fun at my expense."

Yuugi ignored Yami. "But of course, he just likes your brother as he is, so we won't need to do anything special to get Yami's interest. What about Kaiba; what sort of boys catch his eye?"

It was Mokuba's turn to sit in deep thought. "He never shows much interest in men around me…"

"Is he even into men?" Yuugi asked; in all their scheming, they seemed to have forgotten that crucial factor...

Mokuba nodded and the blush that had begun to fade returned full-force. "You should see some of the stuff on his computer."

Yuugi's eyes widened as he stifled a laugh. "Kaiba? With porn? I never would have guessed!" He looked at Mokuba. "How do you know about the porn on his computer?"

"I was using it for a school project, and opened the wrong folder…" Mokuba thought again. "My only guess is that he likes his men naked."

Yuugi burst out laughing. "Don't we all," he murmured. "In summary, we have no clue what to do?"

Mokuba blushed. "Maybe we aren't the best at hooking them up…"

"Actually, we can do it the easiest." Yuugi paused. "You know, Yami, I think it's best that we kept this from you too. In all fairness, Kaiba isn't hearing any of this."

"What!" Yuugi had blocked the spirit before he could say anything else. "Anyway," Yuugi continued to Mokuba, "I come over-which is completely normal-and then while I'm there, I corner Kaiba and send Yami out."

Mokuba looked shocked. "It's so simple that it might work."


	6. The Same, but Very Different

"Okay!" Mokuba said excitedly, dragging Yuugi into his bedroom and closing the door in order to keep Seto from watching them. "Everything is going to work, right?"

Yuugi nodded affirmatively. "Just as soon as I have the opportunity to corner Kaiba."

"So let's go then," Mokuba said. "Just corner him now and answer questions later; besides, when it all works out, Seto probably won't even care why you cornered him." He opened the door and leaned out of the door, looking around sneakily, making sure there was no one in the hallway; it wasn't necessary, but it was fun. After affirming that there was no one in the hallway, they went out, but they encountered their first flaw: they didn't have a clue where in the house Seto was. So, they randomly chose left. Yuugi grinned back at Mokuba as they walked. "It's a shame that Yami will block me during this; it would have been amusing to watch." He winked. "And I might have learned something."

Mokuba blushed and stopped walking; Yuugi took 2 steps before pausing, turning back to look at Mokuba. "Are you all right?" To his surprise, Mokuba yanked him back into a kiss, wrapping his arms around Yuugi's neck. Yuugi made a throaty noise of surprise and went with it, pushing Mokuba back against the wall and kissing him passionately. Mokuba's head was slightly tilted, his entire posture set on giving Yuugi complete control… which Yuugi would have taken if not for the sharp "Ahem!" just at their right. Both boys turned to see Seto glaring at them disapprovingly. Yuugi was still so close to Mokuba that he could feel the heat of the younger boy's blush. Actually, Yuugi had to thank him later; it had provided him with the perfect reason to chase Seto down…

"Yuugi," Seto said, his voice painstakingly neutral, in complete opposition to the death glare he was giving Yuugi, "if you're going to molest my younger brother, do it behind closed doors." Seto turned on his heel and walked away.

"Perfect," Yuugi whispered to a mortified Mokuba and kissed his cheek. Without another word, Yuugi followed Seto straight to his den. Seto closed the door behind him, but Yuugi didn't hear it lock; after a minute had passed, he tried to open it and was able to walk it. He closed and locked it behind him.

"Yuugi, I don't care what you have to say, now isn't-" Seto's threat was cut off by Yami yelling.

"Yuugi!" Yami was yelling, surprised as he was suddenly thrust into physical existence; he hadn't seen THAT coming. "What's going on?"

Seto was staring at him. "What are you doing here?" He didn't bother masking his confusion.

Yami looked at Seto as though he was surprised to see him there. Then his eyes went wide and the whole plan seemed to unfold before him. "Oh." Yami went and sat casually on one of the chairs in the den, near the door. "I'm not entirely sure myself." " _Sneaky little_ …" he addressed Yuugi before blocking the little one back where he wouldn't see or hear.

Seto made a noise of disbelief and went to the window, his back to Yami. "So, Yuugi couldn't face me himself and sent you instead? How pathetic." Yami stood, walking stealthily to stand behind Seto. He fought with himself on what to say, and in the end settled to simply touch Seto's shoulder; he was better with actions than words anyway. The brunet jumped at the touch, turning around to look at Yami, and despite his apparent surprise, his expression was disinterested as always. Yami's hand had fallen away when Seto turned, but he replaced it as though he was trying to establish a connection.

"It's not like that," Yami said. "Yuugi fights his own battles." Yami tried to read the other's expression, but there was nothing; Seto couldn't be read.

"It borders on disrespectful," Seto said haughtily, and Yami knew immediately that it was a front; it sounded forced and completely out of character. "What they do in private is none of my business, but putting up such a scene where anyone could have seen them…"

Yami amended softly, "You mean where you could see them." He was staring at his hand on Seto's shoulder to avoid seeing the flash of pain in Seto's eyes. He was sure that he finally understood why Seto was upset about Yuugi and Mokuba.

"It doesn't matter," Seto said. "Just tell Yuugi he needs to keep it private next time."

Yami's hand moved almost of its own accord, resting behind Seto's neck; Yami used that leverage to pull Seto down into a kiss.

Seto's mind whirled. One minute he had been scolding Mokuba and Yuugi, and the next Yami was kissing him as though his life depended on it. Instinctively, Seto pulled Yami closer, seeking dominance against the slighter teen; Yami melted against him, not fighting Seto's want for control the least bit.

And that was when he remembered; for all outward appearances, Yami and Yuugi were one, and just minutes before Yuugi had been doing something eerily similar with Mokuba. In a flash of emotion akin to horror, Seto pushed Yami back, ignoring his small noise of protest. There was something intoxicating about the idea that the taste of his brother could be lingering on those lips, and the fact that he even considered the idea as erotic was vile. "What do you think you're doing?" Seto demanded, keeping the waver from his voice. Damn it, he hated when his emotions ran off without him!

"What do you mean? It was pretty obvious what I was doing." Yami took a step towards Seto, but he was quick to step away, glaring at Yami. "What's going on? I didn't hear you complaining a moment ago." Yami's tone was a little too soft and overly calm; Seto was sure that inside he was fuming. And who wouldn't be? But that wasn't the point…

Irritated, Seto told him, "You're with my brother!"

Yami gently pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, resisting the urge to yell.

" _Yami_!" Yuugi said urgently, causing Yami to start; when had he stopped blocking his hikari? " _Don't get mad. Just explain it to him nicely. No one wins an argument with Kaiba._ "

" _Watch me be the first_ ," Yami growled internally. To Seto he said as though he was speaking to a child, " **Yuugi** is with Mokuba, not me. I. Am. Not. Yuugi."

Seto argued back, "That's Yuugi's body. You look like Yuugi. The only thing that says you're not Yuugi is your word."

Yami wanted to slap some sense into the supposed genius. "If you would just **look** , then you would see the minute differences! I sound slightly different; I'm a little taller… My pattern of speech is even a little different than Yuugi's!" Yami was fuming.

" _Yami, you're not going to achieve anything like this_ ," Yuugi tried to reason.

" _Shut up_ ," Yami snapped uncharacteristically. He noticed Seto sizing him up, most likely trying to see some of the changes Yami had mentioned. Still, Yami's temper was kindled, and there wasn't a chance in hell he was going to calm down. He shouted, "It's all nice and convenient to accept the fact that I'm a separate person when it suites you, but the second we're NOT fighting, I'm Yuugi again! Just so your ego knows, Yuugi doesn't want you and wouldn't have done something like that." Seto was staring at him in shock. "For some sort of genius, you sure are dense," Yami snarled. He went to leave, fighting with the locked door for a moment before opening it and storming out, slamming the door behind him.


	7. Wisdom of Youth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Way back in the day there was a lemon'd version of this chapter. I'm sure if I pull up the Word document it'll still be there, but it was a lemon written by a 17-year-old girl whose sexual encounters were entirely unremarkable. You're not missing out, I promise._

"What happened?" Mokuba asked, glancing away from his book as Yuugi walked into the room looking more aggravated than Mokuba had ever seen him. Yuugi started pacing the room, presumably yelling at Yami (though it looked more like he was yelling at himself).

"…and what a **great** time to have a goddamn identity crisis!" Yuugi shouted heatedly. "I told you, if he doesn't understand, you can't force it on him!"

At the word "force" Mokuba covered his mouth in shock; had Yami tried to hurt his brother?

"And that 'dense' remark was GREAT, I'm sure he'll be **very** happy to hear from you again soon! Oh, and the ego thing, it nearly had me pissing my fucking pants with joy!"

Mokuba stared, his shock only surpassed by the urge to laugh; he had never heard Yuugi swear that much, and it didn't suit him. "Yuugi!" he said loudly, and Yuugi suddenly stopped, staring at him as though he had just realized his presence. "I take it that things didn't go as planned?"

"No," Yuugi groaned, sitting on Mokuba's bed. "When I came in, Kaiba was telling Yami that he was 'with' you. I guess Yami was too upset to block me…" Yuugi told Mokuba what he had heard, and Mokuba lost the urge to laugh, becoming more and more surprised with each new word. Finally, Yuugi slumped back, lying on Mokuba's bed, groaning, "These two are more trouble than they're worth."

Mokuba said thoughtfully, "You know, this could be good."

Yuugi's head snapped over to look at Mokuba in surprise. "How could this possibly be good?"

"Well, Seto once told me that he liked people who weren't afraid to call him on bullshit, and Yami just proved that he's not afraid to tell Seto exactly what he's thinking. He might SEEM angry, but I bet he's probably impressed deep down. And now that it's out in the open, we can go to plan B."

Yuugi stared. "There's a plan B?"

"Yea; I'll just talk to Seto about it over dinner tonight. I'll make him understand. If there's one person Seto won't ignore, it's me."

Seto nearly dropped his fork when Mokuba innocently asked, "What were you and Yami fighting about?" After the initial shock passed, he took a bite of his food, answering slowly and casually.

"What makes you think we were fighting?"

"I walked by, and I heard Yami yelling. When I saw Yuugi next, he told me that you two had gotten into a fight."

Seto was suspicious. "Did he say what about?"

"Nope; said he didn't know." Mokuba shrugged and returned to eating his food. Seto didn't answer, hoping Mokuba would drop it. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad when Mokuba changed the topic and said, "I don't think love and maturity go together. Too many people treat people they love like crap."

"Do they?" He was willing to go with it; at least it wasn't about Yami… or Yuugi, or whoever those two crazy-haired males were at any given time... or was it just one crazy-haired male? It was enough to give Seto a headache, and he worked with complex technology on a daily basis.

Mokuba nodded. "But I think I get it: it's simple third grade logic," he said firmly.

Seto quirked an eyebrow, looking intently at his brother across the dinner table. "Third grade logic?"

"Sure." Mokuba's tone was all business, and it made Seto smile ever-so-slightly with a combination of amusement and pride. "You're like that little boy who always yanks a girl's hair because he likes her. It's third grade logic - if you don't know the words to express your feelings, then just pick on the one you want."

That caught Seto off-guard; how had the topic changed from love in general to him? Mokuba must have been using the word 'you' to generalize people… That had to be it. "That shouldn't be what love is about." Not that he knew.

Mokuba took time to chew his food before answering. "Well, that's awfully hypocritical of you to be saying, since it's how you treat Yami."

 **That** made Seto drop his fork. Did Mokuba just call him "hypocritical"… and, more importantly, did he just make an allusion that Seto was in love with Yami? "What is that supposed to mean?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Seto, I know Yuugi, I know there's something simply irresistible about him. I can only imagine that Yami would be the same way. Besides… You need someone."

"When did you develop such a diverse vocabulary?" Seto was hoping to drive the boy off topic, but he was honestly was surprised: from "crap" to "hypocritical." However, Seto's ploy didn't work.

"I'm 13 years old, Seto. Now, you should just stop being such a…" Mokuba paused, catching the glare from his older brother. "Stop being mean to Yami and just go for him."

Seto finally resigned. "Even if I **were** remotely interested, Yuugi and you…"

"That would be noble if it were Yuugi. But it's not. It's Yami."

"They're the same."

"No. They're not." Seto was surprised as the conviction in his Mokuba's voice. "Trust me, and just look; you'll see it." Mokuba's plate was empty; Seto had been so wrapped up in the conversation that he hadn't realized that Mokuba had finished his food. Then he stood, taking his plate into the kitchen, leaving Seto to his thoughts.

Seto looked down at his food; he wasn't hungry anymore. He followed Mokuba's example and took the plate to the sink. He went into the living room, sitting on the couch and watching Mokuba play some video game that entailed shooting things. He sat in silence, deep in thought.

"I'm going to go out," he said suddenly, and Mokuba jumped in surprise; he must not have noticed Seto there.

"Where are you going, big brother?" Mokuba asked, and Seto paused at the sudden change in demeanor; the younger Kaiba seemed to slip so easily from wise to innocent. Seto then shrugged, looking away so he didn't seem too enthralled in looking at Mokuba.

"Out for a drive, maybe," Seto told him as he stood. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

Mokuba grinned, and Seto saw the change again, this time from innocent to devious. "What makes you think I would?"

Seto sat in the front seat of his car just down the road from the game shop that Yuugi called home. He had been sitting there for ten minutes, arguing with himself on what to do. He had Mokuba's blessing; when it came right down to it that was all he needed. On top of that, he had his own interests. He was at least marginally interested in Yami, and even a marginal interest would distract him from his major interest, the one currently sitting on the living room floor back home, bright-eyed and blasting the hell out of computer-generated aliens.

Seto swore, letting his head fall onto the steering wheel in frustration. The whole situation was ridiculous. He never wavered; he was known for being sharp and on the dot. He was ruthless. And yet, he was actually suffering indecision over something as simple as a casual fuck. That was all he was after: blind, meaningless, consensual sex, and if Mokuba told him it was okay to go at it with the spirit that inhabited his boyfriend's body, then who was Seto to say no? He rarely every doubted himself, so why was he now?

He looked up to the game shop again, as though he expected it would magically tell him what to do. Instead of receiving some answer, he was surprised to see someone walking out of the game shop. He watched, entranced, as the figure started walking down the street towards the car. Even in the dim streetlight, Seto knew it was Yuugi; there could be no mistaking that hair. He watched in silence, unmoving as the figure came straight to his car, peering in through the passenger window. Seto leaned over and popped the door open.

"Do you always approach strange cars like this?" he asked icily, doing what he did best: masking his emotions, showing the world his uncaring exterior and demeaning those around him while he did it.

"Mokuba called and told me to watch for you." Seto heard it again, like he had in the park. The voice had a slightly rougher edge to it, and it didn't fit Yuugi.

"Yami," he said softly. That seemed to be all Yami needed to hear; he stepped into the car, slamming the door shut beside him. Seto didn't bother starting the car. "In the den… I shouldn't have…" Seto swore internally. He hated not knowing what to say - it betrayed his cold appearance. On top of fighting with indecision, he didn't understand why Yami had him flustered.

"Shouldn't have what? Shouldn't have let me kiss you?" Yami asked. His voice dropped a bit as he asked, "Or you shouldn't have stopped me?"

Seto glared; Yami was cocky, and that was both intriguing and irritating. No matter what happened, he knew he could never control Yami; Seto didn't think the gods themselves could control Yami, that much was evident from the little Seto knew of him. There were a precious few situations where Seto hadn't been in control, and it didn't seem wise to rush headfirst into one. Still… he found himself eying Yami; maybe he would be more distracting if he were in control. If nothing else, he would keep Seto on his toes. He replaced his glare with a smug grin, and he saw Yami's expression change to confusion. Nonchalantly, Seto asked, "You want to come home with me?"

It was Yami's turn to stare in silence, and Seto saw him lick his lips. Seto just waited, making no moves whatsoever; he could tell Yami was tempted by his offer. Finally, Yami responded, "Why not here?"

Seto rolled his eyes. "I refuse to sink so low as to fuck anyone in my car." Seto heard Yami's breath catch, and he wondered if it was because he was being blunt… or if Yami hadn't understood his meaning at first. Either way Seto started the car without waiting for an answer.

"I didn't say yes," Yami said pointedly.

"You were going to."

"You don't know that."

Seto nodded. "Yes I do." He took off, his driving fast and somewhat reckless; he noticed with that satisfaction that Yami looked horrified, clumsily clipping his seat belt into place.

"This could border on kidnapping," Yami said, his irritated tone obviously a cover to hide his nervousness.

"Then punish me for it when we arrive," Seto said briskly, and he glanced over quickly to see Yami blush.

The next morning Seto rolled onto his back, forcing himself awake. He stretched, slightly sore.

"Morning," he murmured, glancing over; he was surprised to find that he was alone in the bed.

 _He thought he heard a door close as he fell asleep._

That meant that the door Seto thought he heard when he fell asleep must have been Yami leaving. Seto frowned and sat up. Why would Yami just leave? Seto felt like a stupid woman, upset and irritated just because Yami hadn't stayed. He told himself he was angry because Yami had refused such his offer of somewhere to sleep; not many people had stayed in Seto's bed.

 _"You could have gotten a hooker for his," he told Seto matter-of-factly.  
Seto came back nonchalantly, "True, but why pay someone when I can have you for free?" _

"Oh," he said out loud. That must have been it; he had noticed that it upset Yami… He felt like he ought to have slapped Yami; he certainly hadn't meant to be insulting, he only wanted to shut him up. That was just what Seto did - he pushed people's buttons to make them do what he wanted. It hadn't been anything personal.

He looked over to the clock: 7 AM. Regardless of the fact that 7 AM was sleeping in for Seto, it was too early to call. He decided he could wait a few hours.

Seto walked into the game shop around 11; he had decided in the end that it would be better to confront Yami face-to-face. He had expected to see the old Motou behind the counter, but was instead greeted by Yuugi glaring at him. That stopped Seto in his tracks; he had never seen Yuugi glare at anyone like that. It reminded Seto of a mother sizing up a threat to her cubs.

"What did you do?" Yuugi asked. His voice was soft but it held none of his usual playfulness or mirth, and it was obvious that he would be a force to be reckoned with.

Seto tried to stay nonchalant, but that fact that Yuugi had him nervous annoyed him, and that combination of apprehension and annoyance wasn't helping him any. "What do you mean?"

"Yami isn't talking. He's upset."

"Maybe he's just worn out."

Yuugi's glare hardened. "There's a difference between exhaustion and anger, and I can feel it."

Seto heaved a sigh. Somehow he had forgotten that he'd have to deal with Yuugi to talk to Yami, and it was useless trying to keep secrets from the short teen. "We may have had a misunderstanding. Can I talk to him?"

Yuugi appeared to be sizing Seto up as though he was checking for any hint of a lie. Curtly he agreed, "I'll talk to him. Call if there are any customers." Seto watched with mixed emotions as Yuugi disappeared into the back.

Yami sat on the chair, holding his palms to his temples.

" _I don't want to._ " As though it hadn't been enough of a headache to be forced into physicality, learning that Yuugi wanted him to talk to Seto made it worse.

" _Yami,_ " Yuugi said firmly, " _I don't know what happened, but he **looks** sincere… Just go hear him out. Then, you can swear him out all you want and I won't say a word._ "

Yami mumbled aloud, "He probably just wants another go. I refuse to play his whore." Bitterly he added internally, " _I used to have whores; if I had known that is was so demeaning, I wouldn't have kept them._ " He heard Yuugi groan from inside his head.

"Please?" his hikari pleaded. " _You shouldn't burn your bridges, you know._ "

Yami rolled his eyes. " _Fine, if it'll stop you from spouting modern clichés..._ " In all reality, he couldn't bear listening to Yuugi beg; he liked his little one too much to make him plead for anything. Still, that didn't mean he was happy; he stood and practically stomped into the shop. He was almost stunned to see Seto; the tall teen looked aloof as ever, but there were definite signs of nervousness. "Well?" Yami said shortly, stepping behind the counter and leaning down on his elbows, watching Seto. Seto didn't miss a beat.

"I always thought there was something disturbingly impersonal about leaving after sex like that," Seto said bluntly, his tone almost condescending. Yami rolled his eyes: did Seto feel abandoned? Oh, look at him feel sorry for the poor baby…

"That whole night was impersonal," Yami shot back. "Did you expect I'd want to cuddle after you practically called me a whore?"

Seto argued, "I never called you a whore!" He fell silent. "Just because I said you were free doesn't make you easy, it just means-" Seto stopped. His eyes widened the smallest bit, and he continued, his voice a bit more hushed, more filled with wonder, "it must mean you care. About me." After that Seto seemed to regain his senses, and he went back to looking as though he was bored.

Yami stared; had Seto just **now** come to that conclusion? Seto was staring intently, and Yami looked down at the countertop, uncharacteristically timid. "Well, of course I care," he said. "I figured you must have guessed that when I got in your car. Do I seem like the sort who just has sex for the sake of doing it?"

Seto was silent. If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't heard footfall, Yami would have thought he left. "Are you busy now?"

Yami looked up; that had come out of nowhere. "Yuugi needs to watch the store for his grandfather. Why?"

"I thought you just might want to come over for a bit. Get to know each other a little better."

That fully stunned Yami; he never would have expected Seto to say that. Then again, it could have been a euphemism for sex. "Why?"

"Is that all you can say?" It almost sounded like Seto was joking... but Yami had never heard Seto tell a joke. "I just thought it might be interesting, since I don't know you." Without warning Seto leaned over the counter and placed a soft kiss on Yami's lips. "Come over later, I think I might enjoy your company." After speaking those words, he left; Yami was so surprised that he couldn't muster the coherency to move.

" _Woo hoo!_ " he suddenly heard Yuugi proclaim. Yami was too shocked to care how long Yuugi had been there.

Mokuba grinned at his brother as the elder left the game shop; he had been peeping in one of the windows.

"I saw that," he said, stretching out "saw" in a singsong manner for emphasis. He grinned as a light blush crept over Seto's cheeks. "Good job, big brother!"

"How did you get here?" Seto asked, and Mokuba let him change the subject.

"Had the driver drop me off. That's okay, right?"

Seto nodded, unlocking his car. "That's fine. Don't be home late."

"I'll call," Mokuba said and went into the game shop. Yuugi was back behind the counter, wide grin on his face. "Did you see?" Mokuba asked excitedly.

Yuugi nodded and said confidently, "It's all downhill from here."


	8. Together at Last

Mokuba stretched out on the couch and yawned, slowly waking up.

"Good morning!" Yuugi said brightly. Mokuba jumped in shock and somehow fell off the couch, landing on the floor with a loud thump.

"You're here early," Mokuba said groggily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes against the bright light. Why was the sun so bright so early?

"No I'm not, you slept late; it's nearly 10!"

Mokuba smiled sheepishly. "Oh. I was up late watching a movie."

Yuugi grinned. "What kind of movie?" He wiggled his eyebrows, and Mokuba blushed.

"Not THAT sort of movie, pervert," Mokuba said. "Action film."

Yuugi laughed. "Whatever you say. Either way, you're going to be sore when school starts."

The blunt reminder of school made Mokuba groan. Summer was nearing it's close; it was hard to imagine that less than one month and a half ago he had kissed Yuugi, and a little more than two weeks ago his brother and Yami had hooked up… it was enough to make Mokuba's head spin. Amazing, really. When school had ended, he thought the summer vacation would be dull as always…

Suddenly his stomach rumbled, pulling him back to the present. "Hey, you want to go somewhere for lunch? I'd say we could eat here, but most our food is healthy." Mokuba crinkled his nose.

"Lunch? Its not even noon yet."

"But," Mokuba set to explain, "I still have to shower, get dressed, let Seto know I'm leaving, plus by the time we actually find the driver… it'll be close to lunch time."

Yuugi blinked a few times. "That makes sense." He paused and then added mischievously, "So, should I wait here, or would you like help showering?"

Mokuba blushed straight to his ears and he smiled shyly, looking down at the floor. "No, I can shower on my own… you could stay here, or wait in my room, or something."

Yuugi still had that smile on his face, the smile that usually was accompanied by some dirty thought or action that would have Mokuba blushing (not to mention hot and bothered) for hours afterwards. Sure enough, Yuugi was quick to respond, "What about in the bathroom?" Mokuba stared, and Yuugi hastily added, "Just for conversation. I won't peek."

Mokuba's blush seemed to burn hotter, but coyly he said, "Okay." Not sure what else to say he led the way to the bathroom, trying not to let his nerves to get to him, conscious as he was of the fact that Yuugi was just a few paces behind him. He wasn't sure what was so unnerving about the situation. After all, he and Yuugi had been together for a while, but they hadn't really done anything, at least nothing so extreme to involve any clothes coming off. Mokuba hated that he was afraid; it didn't seem right.

He lingered when he reached the door. "Uh, Yuugi, could you wait here a moment? I have to… um…"

"Oh!" Yuugi said. He flushed in embarrassment, and leaned against the wall. "I can wait." Mokuba didn't keep Yuugi waiting long before he opened the door. A million thoughts seemed to running through his head, and it was difficult to grasp just one. What was he thinking, letting Yuugi in the bathroom? Was he looking for a reason to take off his clothes? And, god forbid, what if Seto found out? He tried to gather his feelings as he ran the water, testing it to make sure it wasn't too hot or too cold; after three tries and fiddling with the knob a little bit, he finally got it right.

It was too quiet. He turned to say something - anything - to Yuugi; he was surprised to find that Yuugi was already turned around, leaning against the corner. "Are you okay?" Mokuba asked; he couldn't see Yuugi's face, but the stance looked weary.

"Giving you privacy to get in," Yuugi said, and he sounded almost bouncy. Mokuba wondered why he hadn't thought of that.

"Oh. Thanks," Mokuba said appreciatively, blushing as he undressed. Sure, Yuugi wasn't looking at him, but that fact remained that he was in the room… it made him feel a little vulnerable. He stepped into the shower quickly, closing the shower curtain behind him.

Yuugi glanced over his shoulder when he heard the shower curtain slide closed - characterized by the scraping of metal rings along the shower rod -, assuming that Mokuba was in the shower. He was right.

For lack of anywhere else to sit, Yuugi jumped up on the counter, trying to think of something to say. When he had suggested the idea of keep Mokuba company in the shower, he hadn't expected it to be as awkward was it was. It was hard to concentrate on conversation when he was constantly distracted by Mokuba's movements behind the semi-translucent shower curtain. Despite the fact that all he could see where those vague and distorted motions, Yuugi couldn't pull his eyes away: where distortion blurred Yuugi's vision of Mokuba, his mind filled in the blanks. He was starting to feel like a bit of pervert as he thought that if he were to go over, pull back that curtain, there would be no distortion and nothing to the imagination, just Mokuba nude and soaked. He flushed as Mokuba spoke, the younger boy apparently taking the initiative to start conversation.

"This is odd," Mokuba said. "I haven't had anyone in the bathroom like this since I was old enough to start showering myself."

Yuugi smiled, pulling his eyes from the shower and closing them. "When you were younger did Kaiba keep someone on staff just to bathe you?" He was actually amused at the possibility that someone could be paid for that; hell, he would have applied if he had gotten the opportunity.

Mokuba replied, "No, when I was still a small kid Seto took care of stuff like that himself." Yuugi's amusement ebbed; Mokuba's nostalgic tone caught him by surprise, and he was fascinated by it. "He's actually more loving that anyone knows; he just hides it well," Mokuba continued. "Some idea he has about weakness."

Yuugi nodded. "He's very protective of you."

There was a pause from Mokuba, and a strange fragrance filled the air. Yuugi looked back to the shower to see that Mokuba was washing his hair. Well, more accurately, he deduced that Mokuba was washing his hair from the combination of movement and scent. He was so enthralled that he jumped when Mokuba suddenly asked, "What did he say to you?"

"Hmm?"

"That day in the kitchen; I always wondered what he said to you."

Yuugi's smile returned as he remembered Seto's glares and sandwich-throwing tactics. "He made it clear that if I hurt you, he'd make my life a living hell."

"Damn. He didn't need to do that. You can't hurt me." Yuugi didn't understand what Mokuba meant, but the younger boy elaborated before Yuugi could ask. His tone was strangely calm as he said, "Sure, you might leave, but that's inevitable; be it by death or choice, everyone leaves someday."

Yuugi's stared in astonishment, and when he finally mustered the words to speak, his voice was smaller than usual. "How can you say that calmly, like it's not a big deal?"

"An art learned from Seto. Don't take me wrong, Yuugi; I don't want you to leave… I just accept the fact that I probably can't keep you forever. I'm still a kid, and not many people stay with their first loves forever."

Yuugi stomach tied in knots; he was fairly accustomed to being described with the term "boyfriend" (and even though he had only admitted to Jounouchi, he actually considered it an endearment when Mokuba said it), but Mokuba had never used the words "first love"… or "love" at all, for that matter. It was enough to make Yuugi's pulse quicken, and heat rushed to his cheeks.

"You just might beat the odds." The water suddenly turned off, and Yuugi noticed the shower curtain was opening; he covered his eyes with his hands.

"You don't have to." Mokuba voice was soft but assured. Yuugi looked up slowly, and their eyes met momentarily; it reminded Yuugi of their first kiss, when Mokuba had shyly asked about the nature of Yuugi and Jounouchi's relationship… except Mokuba didn't seem as timid as he had been then. Then Mokuba smiled, and he turned to retrieve his towel from the towel rack.

Yuugi did his best not to ogle the young teen like a pervert, but it was difficult. He felt like some idolater as he gawked, resisting the urge to lick his lips and haul Mokuba back into the shower. Mokuba was sinfully angelic, petite and smooth, and the effect of water on his skin became him. The thought of things Yuugi wouldn't mind doing to Mokuba in the shower was enough to make him blush and grin.

Mokuba was drying his hair, and when he was done, he looked at Yuugi. Yuugi thought it was the cutest sight he had ever seen: Mokuba's thick tresses fell around his face in disarray and big eyes were looking at Yuugi in what seemed to be confusion; he looked younger than thirteen for a moment.

"Did I grab clothes before we came in here?" Oh, that was why he looked confused. Yuugi shook his head, looking to the ground to stop staring. The sight of Mokuba was simply awing him; he hadn't realized that the younger Kaiba could be so breath taking. "Damn," Mokuba swore, wrapping his towel around his waist. He went to the door and peeked out tentatively. Yuugi chuckled softly as Mokuba said, "Coast is clear," and - holding his towel firmly at his waist - ran out the door.

Yuugi took a sip of his drink, deep in thought. Mokuba was contentedly munching on his fries, solely focused on his food. Yuugi was still stuck on the "first love" comment; it still had his heart racing, and it rekindled the blush on Yuugi's face. He never thought he'd be anyone's first love.

"You know," he said candidly, "I remember my first crush."

Mokuba looked up, interest evident in his eyes. "Really?" One fry hung from his mouth, descent disrupted as Mokuba had apparently forgotten about his food, waiting for Yuugi to continue.

Yuugi nodded. "It was Anzu. I thought she was perfect: she was nice to me, funny, assertive, she had dreams…"

"Oh." Mokuba seemed to shrink down in his seat some, and he finished eating the fry in his mouth. Quietly he added, "Sometimes I'm jealous of Anzu."

Yuugi stared, almost unable to grasp that concept. "Jealous? Of Anzu?"

Mokuba nodded, and after popping another fry into his mouth he explained meekly, "You're always really affectionate with her, and you two are closer in age, and she's so damn nice, and you obviously admire her-"

"You're rambling," Yuugi interrupted with a smile. "And it's cute." Mokuba smiled, but he still looked concerned. "You shouldn't be jealous; I'm just friends with Anzu." Yuugi looked around before beckoning Mokuba closer, leaning over the table; Mokuba followed suit. "I'll tell you a secret; maybe it'll put you a little at ease. Don't tell anyone, all right?" Mokuba nodded, and Yuugi continued, "Anzu and I kissed once. It was like kissing a sister… or what I imagine it would be like to kiss a sister if I had one. That was when I got over her. She's a great friend, but... I don't know, I wasn't as fascinated with her after that. And she's sort of tall, at least compared to me." Yuugi touched Mokuba's cheek. "Besides, I'm affectionate with you."

"I know," Mokuba said softly. "But…"

"Hush," Yuugi said. "Besides, Anzu has another boy chasing her tail." Yuugi leaning in to kiss Mokuba when…

"Yuugi!" Jounouchi said, sitting down in the booth beside Yuugi. Honda stood by the table awkwardly.

"I think we're interrupting, Jounouchi," he said pointedly. Mokuba blushed and sat back. Yuugi sighed but smiled; it was nice to see Jounouchi, even if he was disrupting the moment.

"Sorry, Yuugi. Haven't seen you in a while, though; I call the shop and Gramps says your with Mokuba. So then I call this shrimp," Jounouchi reached across the table and ruffled Mokuba's hair to show he was kidding, "and he says you're not with him. What's up; trying to score brownie points with the jacka-" Jounouchi paused and looked at Mokuba. "Er, Kaiba?"

Yuugi looked at Mokuba; the boy was talking to Honda, who had sat down beside Mokuba when it became apparent that Jounouchi wasn't moving. "It's a long story. I'm sorry; I didn't realize that I was gone that often."

Jounouchi grinned cheekily. "It's nothin'; I'm willing to bet that Mokuba is the sort of kid to keep you busy." Mokuba heard the comment and blushed, raising a small debate between the two. Yuugi took that time to collect his thoughts.

He wanted Mokuba; there was no doubt about that… and not necessarily just in a sexual way, although he wasn't adverse to that idea either. And the fact that Seto and Yami were going at it like rabbits lately wasn't helping any; as much as Yuugi stayed out of those affairs, every now and then he could feel Yami, or - worse - Yami would lose control and Yuugi would see…

" _Yami_ ," Yuugi mentally said, noting that his friends and boyfriend had moved onto a different topic of debate, completely oblivious to his silence.

" _What is it, aibou_?" If Yami had been a physical being, his presence would have been marked as behind Yuugi.

" _You think that you could stay… well, that is, I'd like some privacy tonight_."

" _With Mokuba_?"

Yuugi blushed. " _Yes_."

" _What are you plotting?_ "

Yuugi answered, " _Nothing bad. I just want some privacy_."

" _Okay_ ," Yami answered. " _Just tell me when_."

"Hey!" Jounouchi interrupted Yuugi's thoughts. "What are you blushing about?"

Yuugi finally got Mokuba alone later that night. It had taken some pleading, but Kaiba had agreed to let Mokuba stay the night with Yuugi. It hadn't been hard for Yuugi to convince his Grandpa; the older Motou was oblivious to Mokuba and Yuugi's relationship. It was nearly midnight when Grandpa finally went to bed, leaving Mokuba and Yuugi alone on the couch with an old black and white movie. Yuugi smiled; the movie was boring, and the two were alone. The timing seemed utterly perfect. He scooted over to Mokuba, leaning in to nibble on his earlobe. Mokuba contentedly mumbled something and tried to turn to face Yuugi.

"No," Yuugi whispered in his ear. "Stay like this." He knew what he was going to do; he had - at one point - seen Yami doing it, and curiosity got the better of him. He reached down, softly caressing Mokuba's leg. His voice was seductive as he said, "I want to try something."

"What?" Mokuba asked. Yuugi could hear apprehension in his voice. He led his hand to slide up to just under Mokuba's shirt, rubbing the soft flesh of his belly and playing with his bellybutton. Mokuba gave a breathy giggle and did what he could to back away from Yuugi's hand. Yuugi smirked and kissed Mokuba's cheek. How was he supposed to tell Mokuba what he wanted to do when the mere idea of saying it out loud made him blush? He could always just show him… Yuugi pulled his hand away, flashing Mokuba a wicked grin before getting off the couch and kneeling before Mokuba. He saw Mokuba staring at him in shock, eyes wide.

"Yuugi!" he said. "I, ah-"

"Please?" Yuugi asked. "You don't have to reciprocate, not if you don't want to; I'd rather wait for you to want to than to force yourself out of some feeling of duty. I just… want you. Want to taste you." He rested his forearms on Mokuba's thighs, looking up. Mokuba seemed to pause, unsure, before he leaned down and kissed Yuugi. The kiss was fierce, passionate, and caught Yuugi by surprise, though not unpleasantly. Yuugi guessed that was a "yes," but he was hesitant to end the kiss; it worked to his favor that Mokuba was the first to pull away, breathing heavily. Damn the human need for oxygen. Yuugi took that time to back away a bit, reaching forward and hooking his fingers under the waistband of Mokuba's pajama pants. He looked up at Mokuba. He received a small nod as affirmation and Mokuba lifted his hips slightly off the couch so that Yuugi was able to easily pull the garment and all those beneath it off.

Yuugi rested his hands on Mokuba's knees; he could feel the younger male trembling… or maybe he was the one trembling. Yuugi actually found the whole situation amusing; there he knelt, inexperienced and nervous, yet it was nothing new to his body, just his mind. "Ready?" he asked softly. Mokuba nodded.


	9. Halting

"Yami," Seto said softly, and Yami looked back at him from where he was retrieving his shirt. "Stay."

"I shouldn't," Yami answered with a sigh. "Yuugi is supposed to be here with Mokuba."

"I doubt that Mokuba expects him back. Just stay," Seto argued. The temptation was in Yami's eyes, and Seto was glad. "Please." Reluctantly Yami returned to Seto's bed, and Seto wasted no time in pulling the smaller male close. Yami must have been tired; he fell asleep quickly, head nestled against Seto's chest. Seto was content to watch him… he looked peaceful. But why had Seto pushed the issue, why had he nearly begged for Yami to stay? Had he been trying to assert his dominance, to show that even though he played bottom in their relationship, he was still very much in control? No… Seto didn't need to control Yami… and more importantly, he didn't want to.

He had just wanted him to stay.

Seto gently stroked Yami's hair, and he admitted to himself that differences between Yami and Yuugi he hadn't noticed before were glaringly obvious: not only in voice and mannerism, but in strength; Yami seemed to be physically stronger than Yuugi. Also, amusingly enough, their hair was different; there was more blonde in Yami's hair. Seto was actually a little ashamed that he had never noticed before; he was a genius, and the differences were obvious. Had he been that wrapped up in everything else that such small details were passing him by? It made Seto wonder if there was anything else he was missing.

Seto moved his arm around Yami, and the sleeping form curled closer, sighing in his sleep.

Of course, Seto was aware enough to see one fatal flaw in all their encounters, all the nights they shared; Seto had realized it as Yami protested against staying…

No matter how different Yami and Yuugi were, the fact remained that they were still one body. Their relationship may have been working for the time being, but things would become increasingly complicated as time progressed. What were Seto and Mokuba supposed to do, write up some sort of time-share table? No, that was ludicrous; the four of them would not be able to progress in the manner they had for the past few weeks. Someone would break under the strain, and Seto was determined to make sure that it wasn't Mokuba who suffered… even at the expense of his own happiness.

Seto realized there were tears burning his eyes. When had that happened? He never cried, hadn't done so in years. He used his free hand to rub his eyes forcefully, making the tears go away. He looked back down at Yami.

Damn, but it felt right to have Yami in his arms…

He didn't want to let go.

" _Did something happen last night?_ " Yuugi asked as he walked in his room the next morning. He had sensed Yami's feelings of sullenness and regret ever since they had left the Kaiba home. Had Yami done something regrettable?

" _How do you stand it?_ "

" _What do you mean?_ "

" _When I'm with Seto._ "

" _Oh._ " Yuugi shrugged, turning to face Yami; the spirit had visually manifested and seemed to be sitting back wearily in a chair in Yuugi's room. " _I just think. I don't even notice how long it is._ "

Yami made a noise of disbelief. " _Sure_."

Yuugi frowned; that was completely unlike Yami… what the hell was going on? " _What's wrong_?" he demanded.

" _Nothing._ "

" _You're full of shit, Yami. You seem to be forgetting that you can't hide anything from me, so either you're going to tell me, or we're going to have to do this the hard way._ "

Yami paused, refusing to meet Yuugi's eyes for a few minutes. Yuugi waited patiently, watching Yami closely.

Finally, still not looking at Yuugi, Yami said, " _Seto and I cannot continue, not at the price of your life._ "

" _My life? Yami, there's no harm in-_ "

" _Yes, there is. You are forced to go elsewhere while I use your body to live; life is precious, Yuugi, and however alive I feel with Seto, I cannot take your existence from you._ "

Yuugi was shocked. That was deep, beautiful… and the most heartbreaking thing that Yuugi had ever heard. " _Yami_ ," he said slowly. " _You and Kaiba-_ "

" _Someone is going to suffer,_ " Yami interrupted abruptly. " _Someone will falter. I've lived my life once; I can't infringe on yours just because I happen to share your body_." Yuugi knew what was coming, and he dreaded Yami's next words. " _It has to end._ "


	10. Closing

Seto had been the first one to address the issue, to tell Yuugi and Mokuba that the "four" of them had to talk. And there he was, sitting in the living room, trying to find the words to say as two curious faces stared at him. The best way had to be the bluntest. Seto wanted to glare at Yuugi, to blame him for the whole situation… but logic overtook emotion; could he actually blame Yuugi simply for existing, for being with his brother? And if Yuugi hadn't become involved for Mokuba, Seto never would have acknowledged Yami's existence, let alone developed feelings for him. He sighed softly; it seemed that fate was against him at every corner.

When he finally spoke his voice was calm. "I can't continue to see Yami." Immediately Mokuba sprang to protest, but Yuugi was studiously quiet, his head inclined as though in defeat. Seto hushed his younger brother. "I wouldn't have included either of you if it weren't for the fact that I knew you would try to change my mind. I need you two to let the issue of Yami and me drop. Is that clear?"

"But **why** , Seto?" Mokuba demanded. "You're **happy** with Yami, I **know** you are. Why would you throw that away?"

Seto answered calmly, "For you. For both of you." He looked at Yuugi, and saw wide purple eyes looking at him in surprise. That was about as close to fondness for Yuugi as he was ever going to show; they both knew it. "The circumstances are unusual; if one relationship is going to thrive, the other will suffer; I'm making the decision before time does it for us."

"That's insane," Mokuba said. "Yuugi, tell him he's being ridiculous."

Yuugi sighed. "Their minds are made up. We should give them some time alone." Yuugi was silent for a moment before Seto had to turn away from the light that signified the change from Yuugi to Yami. Seto didn't look back until he heard Mokuba.

"Not you too!" Seto looked up. Yami's head was bowed much as Yuugi's had been, and Seto was unable to see his face; there was an uncharacteristic sag in his shoulders.

"Mokuba, can Seto and I talk?" Seto's chest tightened; that was one of the few times Yami had addressed him by his first name when they weren't in bed. It would have been so much easier if he had said "Kaiba" as usual…

Mokuba stood hesitantly; he looked on the verge of tears as he left the room. Seto had never realized how much his brother cared for his happiness… The room was silent for a minute - or maybe it was two - before Seto sat beside Yami on the couch.

"I came to the same conclusion this morning. I understand." Yami looked at Seto, and he looked unbearably grim. "I couldn't forgive myself if Yuugi or Mokuba suffered because of my actions."

Seto nodded. "So this is it." A part of him desperately wanted to take Yami, just once before they parted… but he was trembling slightly, and he just wanted to be near his lover for the time being, while they could still be considered lovers... He let his elbows rest on his knees and propped his forehead against his hands. "I never would have started anything if I had known-"

"It won't be that bad," Yami interrupted, a slight waver in his voice. Seto wanted to tell Yami how full of shit he was. "Besides, I was just your replacement lover, the substitute for the one you couldn't have." Seto looked up at Yami in shock, his eyes wide. Yami must have figured it out… or perhaps he had known from the beginning. Despite Yami's smile, a single tear rolled slowly down his cheek. "So you shouldn't miss me that much."

Seto swore inwardly and decided that for just this moment - their last moment - he could throw away his impervious exterior. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the smaller male, burying his face against his neck... and he cried.

"Not anymore," he murmured. "It's not like that anymore." Yami held him as he wept, his forehead resting against the crown of Seto's head.

Seto wasn't lying; he couldn't remember the last time he had yearned for Mokuba, all because Yami had kept him busy… no, more than that… Seto sagged against Yami as he realized the truth. He no longer wanted Mokuba because he had discovered love... He wasn't just accustomed to Yami; he was in love with him.

It would have been easy for him to open his mouth, to speak those words aloud… but Yami had to leave, and any expressions of love would be futile, only serving to make separation that much worse. Seto heaved a sigh, his tears ebbing; he couldn't lean on Yami forever. Slowly he withdrew, wiping his remaining tears from his face; he wasn't supposed to be crying. He regained his composure bit by bit, fitting back into his comfortable role as Seto Kaiba, CEO with a heart of ice.

"Should I leave and send Mokuba in? I think he and Yuugi are going to want to talk," Seto said, his voice neutral as always. Playing a role he always played somehow helped numb his pain. That's what being Seto was all about: being numb when people were watching, only regaining feeling when the doors were closed and locked tight. Yami shook his head.

"Mokuba will want to speak with you first. Just tell him that Yuugi will be waiting in his room when he's ready." Yami stood, and Seto didn't watch him leave. Seto Kaiba didn't act like an obsessed woman; Seto Kaiba was calm and flippant. But when the door closed, Seto bowed his head, letting his posture slacken; with doors closed, it was private, and in private Seto felt pain. He didn't even notice Mokuba had walked in until he sat on the couch and wrapped his arms around Seto, resting his head on Seto's shoulder.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said remorsefully. "How can you just let him go?"

Seto put his best smile on, gently prodding Mokuba to look up at him. "It'll be okay," he assured the younger boy. In a movement that would have seemed purely childish to anyone watching, Mokuba crawled into his brother's lap, still hugging the older boy tightly.

Seto wasn't afraid to hold him.


End file.
